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By John McCarthy, Opinion Editor

July 11, 2014 | 3 min read

Greenpeace’s controversial video criticising the universally loved Lego brand for its partnership with Oil giant Shell has been suspended by YouTube following a copyright claim from Warner Brothers over the use of the “Everything is Awesome” track from the Lego movie.

The video, made by Bafta-winning creative agency Don’t Panic, has instead been transferred to Vimeo where viewers can see a Lego world slowly die after an oil spill.

The film was created to highlight Lego’s use of the Shell oil brand on its toys, which it claims poisons the minds of children.

Greenpeace has urged as many campaigners as possible to upload the video to YouTube as it combats the copyright claim, arguing that the video, which uses satire and parody, is in the public interest which protects it under the right to free speech.

Ian Duff, Arctic campaigner at Greenpeace, said: “Our film was designed as a creative way of letting people know about the threat to the Arctic from Shell and the role Lego has in the story. It seems to have struck a nerve with some important corporate bigwigs, but this crude attempt to silence dissent won’t work.

“Lego says it wants to leave a better world for children, yet it’s partnered with Shell, one of the biggest climate polluters on the planet, now threatening the pristine Arctic. We’re saying It’s time for Lego to finally pull the plug on this deal. We’re calling on Lego to stand up for Arctic protection, and for children, by ditching Shell for good.”

Jørgen Vig Knudstorp, CEO of the Lego Group, said: “The Greenpeace campaign focuses on how Shell operates in a specific part of the world. We firmly believe that this matter must be handled between Shell and Greenpeace. We are saddened when the Lego brand is used as a tool in any dispute between organisations.

“We expect that Shell lives up to their responsibilities wherever they operate and take appropriate action to any potential claims should this not be the case. I would like to clarify that we intend to live up to the long term contract with Shell, which we entered into in 2011.”

He concluded: “We will continue to live our motto of “only the best is good enough” and deliver creative and inspiring Lego play experiences to children all over the world.”

It can take up to ten days for for YouTube to make a decision on the video which received over three million views.

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